Woman claims that traffic cop called her ‘white bitch’
"The next thing I knew the official who pulled me over tried to grab me. I pulled away and he then stuck his finger in my face and said, 'I will bliksem you'. I saw that he was carrying a gun and got frightened. I started to reverse to drive over the raised pavement as he instructed me. They then shouted at me to stop," said Bierman.
LYDENBURG – A woman who asked if she could pull over at a place where the car she was driving would not be damaged by a raised pavement, was allegedly called a “white bitch” by a Mpumalanga traffic control officer.
Ms Marina Bierman was travelling from PostNet to work.
“I work in Joubert Street and was making my way back to work. The traffic officials were stationed at the stop sign in Lange Street. I saw one of the officers walking towards me in the road. I have no problem with being pulled over. I get pulled over regularly because I drive a Ford Fiesta with a North West registration number. I know there is nothing wrong with the car so I complied and stopped,” she said.
The pavement in Lange Street has raised surfaces at certain areas due to damage caused by heavy vehicles.
Bierman explained to the officials that she could not drive over the pavement with her car as it was too low and would be damaged.
“Instead I offered to pull over just after the hobbled pavement. I told him that it was my sister’s car and that I did not want to damage it.” Bierman said despite the fact that she was only trying to explain that her car will be damaged, the official was extremely rude and said, “You will drive over that. I am telling you to drive over the pavement.”
“At that instant he started shouting at me and said, ‘You will drive over it you white bitch’,” she claimed.
“I told him that he did not have to use derogatory language with me and I again offered to pull off after the bump in the pavement.”
According to Bierman, at that moment another official who witnessed the argument between Bierman and the officer, came to his colleague’s assistance.
“The next thing I knew the official who pulled me over tried to grab me. I pulled away and he then stuck his finger in my face and said, ‘I will bliksem you’. I saw that he was carrying a gun and got frightened. I started to reverse to drive over the raised pavement as he instructed me. They then shouted at me to stop,” said Bierman.
She told him that she would not leave it there and that she would report him.
Bierman took down his initials, surname and vehicle registration and opened a case of crimen injuria at Lydenburg SAPS.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News is in possession of the case number.
Capt Alfred Moela, communi-cation officer at Lydenburg SAPS, confirmed that a case has been opened against the official.
Bierman said she was never arrogant or disrespectful towards the traffic officer.
“I merely explained why I could not drive over the raised pavement.”
The newspaper enquired about the incident and suppplied the Mpumalanga Department of Safety, Security and Liaison with the official’s initials, surname and vehicle registration number. The department’s communications director, Mr Joseph Mabuza, responded and said that he acknowledged the inquiry.
“There is no investigation or inquest against any traffic officer regarding the alleged incident. The department has not received a complaint from any motorist.
“We were not aware of the alleged incident and will obtain a statement from the implicated officer that will determine the next course of action,” he said.
